Shop owners gear up for Small Business Saturday

The second annual “Small Business Saturday” will take place on Nov. 26 as part of the national movement to support local businesses during the busiest shopping season of the year.

Sara Mulkeen/Staff writer

The second annual “Small Business Saturday” will take place on Nov. 26 as part of the national movement to support local businesses during the busiest shopping season of the year.

The marketing initiative, which was started by American Express last year, encourages shoppers to patronize small businesses the day after Black Friday – a time when hoards of holiday bargain hunters have been known to flock to large retail chains and malls for gift buying.

In Westborough, shoppers don’t have to go far in order to find the gifts they are looking for.

Susan Nichols, a shopkeeper at Zinc on East Main Street, said the store offers a variety of gift items, ranging from interior design and home goods to popular Alex and Ani jewelry.

“We hunt down different and unusual things that you wouldn’t find at a mall,” Nichols said.

The three-year-old business owned by Westborough resident Amy Callahan attracts customers from all age ranges with furniture, artwork, and what Nichols refers to as “funky stuff” for teens.

She said gifts can be found at any price point.

“You can get a $1,000 painting or a $10 pack of decorative napkins,” she said.

Elements at the Circle owners Sharmila Pai and Darlene Goetz said their store is a perfect holiday shopping destination because of the personal treatment customers receive.

The two Westborough moms said their wide network of acquaintances in town will allow them to help husbands pick out gifts for their wives.

“We’ll know what the wives will like since we probably know them,” Goetz said.

She said women “can stop by the store and leave a wish list” so their husbands can pick the items up later.

The store – located on the Westborough rotary at 10 East Main St. – is packed with unique casual clothing priced from $20 to $200 and offers popular holiday stocking stuffers, as well as UGG purses, workout apparel and dresses for festive parties.

While the shop is typically open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., hours will be extended to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays through December.

Pai and Goetz said they also host private parties at the shop, during which the host will receive $10 for every $100 guests spend.

Small Business Saturday is not the only way Westborough recognizes local stores. The town will host its annual Merchant Holiday Stroll on Dec. 2 from 12 to 6 p.m., during which shops will offer one-day-only specials.

Most of the participating shops are located on the downtown rotary, East Main Street or South Street.

Residents who do not want to brave the cold or crowds can still support local stores on Nov. 24.

Westborough couple Sandy and Mark Dekoschak have an online store for their homemade, eco-friendly line of candles, and plan to move the business into a storefront at the downtown rotary next week.

For now, westboroughwicks.com is where they sell their all-natural, hand-poured soy votives, jars, tins and pillars in a variety of more than 50 scents.

Candle prices range from $1.25 to $26.

Sandy Dekoschak said soy candles made from natural ingredients “burn cleaner” due to their cotton wick and don’t create a black smoke, as some other candles do.

The store will hold a “soft opening” from 3 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 2 when Westborough holds its Merchant Holiday Stroll. The grand opening will be the following Sunday on Dec. 9.

Dekoschak said the store – which will be located directly next to Elements at the Circle – will also feature eco-friendly home accessories such as handmade cards, fabric bags printed with soy-based ink, and felt products such as slippers, which will be imported from Nepal.

She added she is excited to begin offering craft classes, including jewelry making and scarf printing, when the store officially opens.

Sara Mulkeen can be reached at 508-490-7475 or smulkeen@wickedlocal.com.